Recommendation: Reliable workshops in JB

Infinite

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Hi guys, bought a renew coe Toyota Allion, any recommended WS for checking and changing like Engine oil and stuff? Kinda noob about car only know change engine oil is needed and does ws in jb does Allion? From what I know they don’t have Allion in Malaysia.

I was a noob too and have learnt lots from the sharing here. Engine oil servicing is fairly basic, I got mine done for under $60. You can search a few pages back for some discussion on that. Otherwise, you can also purchase cheap shell engine oil at Giant for $30 and head over to jb for a ~RM25 oil change.
 

Sammychan

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My drive only 5-6km per L. I saw online usually for my car should be 10-12km per L. I am like only half.. 300km plus with 53L petrol for 2L car.

That time workshop checked have misfire. Replaced spark plugs, ignition coils, fuel injectors. Last service need a gear box oil replacement.

I also washed my cat converter, very dirty I suspect engine running too lean.

Got slight jerking when idle sometime at traffic light. Vibration when stationary and D, but normal at N. Replaced engine mounting still the same.


Very low. Major issue. At first glance i would say your gearbox is going. Misfire usually will change spark plugs first because it is cheapest($40 if you buy yourself), ignition coil is usually the issue though...good workshop will test each individual coil to see which one gone and change just that one. Lazy/greedy workshop change all one short without testing. Injectors actually rarely spoil, just need to clean using ultrasonic method.

May i ask how do you wash your cat? Usually cat at this age is gone...if clearing carbon just need to run NSH. The other area u can clean for carbon is throttlebody.

Jerk at idle is gearbox issue. That i would say also is the cause for vibration at D. Engine mounting usually vibrates thru steering.

What is your rpm? If rpm is low or inconsistent..then it has nothing to do with mounting..but engine. Does your engine run rough? Touch the seats at stationary..do you feel slight vibration?
 

Sammychan

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I was a noob too and have learnt lots from the sharing here. Engine oil servicing is fairly basic, I got mine done for under $60. You can search a few pages back for some discussion on that. Otherwise, you can also purchase cheap shell engine oil at Giant for $30 and head over to jb for a ~RM25 oil change.
No need so troublesome go until jb change engine oil....many workshop in singapore will gladfully charge labour for you at $20..$30 with filter.
 

stam

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Very low. Major issue. At first glance i would say your gearbox is going. Misfire usually will change spark plugs first because it is cheapest($40 if you buy yourself), ignition coil is usually the issue though...good workshop will test each individual coil to see which one gone and change just that one. Lazy/greedy workshop change all one short without testing. Injectors actually rarely spoil, just need to clean using ultrasonic method.

May i ask how do you wash your cat? Usually cat at this age is gone...if clearing carbon just need to run NSH. The other area u can clean for carbon is throttlebody.

Jerk at idle is gearbox issue. That i would say also is the cause for vibration at D. Engine mounting usually vibrates thru steering.

What is your rpm? If rpm is low or inconsistent..then it has nothing to do with mounting..but engine. Does your engine run rough? Touch the seats at stationary..do you feel slight vibration?

Bro, drop you a PM. Thanks.
 

galaxynote

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I was a noob too and have learnt lots from the sharing here. Engine oil servicing is fairly basic, I got mine done for under $60. You can search a few pages back for some discussion on that. Otherwise, you can also purchase cheap shell engine oil at Giant for $30 and head over to jb for a ~RM25 oil change.

how about oil filter. need to change that too right
how much is the oil filter over at jb?
 

liquidh

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Strange. Too new to have issues assuming you kept it stock.

You say Cat is dirty. Should be running rich (not lean) if dirty. (Correct me if wrong anyone). Possible case of vacumm leak causing rich running?

I think do the vacumm leak test first. Then check O2 sensors. Vacumm leak test (i.e smoke test) doesn’t require change of parts and thus should be cheaper.

If no vacumm leak, consider changing O2 sensors and MAF sensor (do it one at a time to isolate the issue).

4th year 65k mileage
 
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liquidh

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Which brings to mind what the worker did in my last workshop that caused me to not return ever again.

He topped up tap water in my coolant tank. I don’t mind paying for proper coolant but it was too late... Now I want to flush the system.

And they used 5w-40 when the Manufacturer recommended 30... And they are not cheap...

Some workshops are honest but workers are lazy. Some little things they will reuse old parts just because they look ok. For eg, and this is a very common practice...when replacing the drive shaft boot....there is a clip that secure the grease in the boot...a lot of workers will reuse the clip just because it is already in the shape to clip back..and throw away the clip that comes with it..because is requires a lot of effort to push the newly unseasoned clip into the boot. Now this is highly not advisable because the clip is such an important part of the boot...that if it became loose..grease will leak and dirt goes in. The idea of a tight clip is to secure boot firmly..hence difficult to secure. But most workers will skip this job. There are tons of things workers can do to save their time.
 

liquidh

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The radiator fans, water pump, thermostat and timong belt (if any) is what I recommend people to change if above 10 years old.

Ya...a couple of hundreds things may still work but not good...sometimes symptoms show up but it is a combination of many many issues..so difficult to catch...old cars can have really high cost of upkeep. For those who don want all the hassle..best is to go for cars under 7 yrs old. After the 7th yr..it can be nightmarish.
 

Sammychan

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Strange. Too new to have issues assuming you kept it stock.

You say Cat is dirty. Should be running rich (not lean) if dirty. (Correct me if wrong anyone). Possible case of vacumm leak causing rich running?

I think do the vacumm leak test first. Then check O2 sensors. Vacumm leak test (i.e smoke test) doesn’t require change of parts and thus should be cheaper.

If no vacumm leak, consider changing O2 sensors and MAF sensor (do it one at a time to isolate the issue).
Vacuum leak will be very obvious. The car will have erratic idling. There will be a whistle sound from the engine area. It doesnt really affect anything else.
 

Sammychan

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The radiator fans, water pump, thermostat and timong belt (if any) is what I recommend people to change if above 10 years old.
The upkeep cost can be high for coe cars not because of the parts required to be changed but sometimes the time needed to troublesome the issue. Sometimes an issue is visible because of a combination of multiple issues which takes a longer time to troubleshoot. Downtime can be frequent. We have a package that replace every physical components of the suspension system one shot + all engine seals/oil seal replaced. For comfort it will be same like new car.

Basically everyone's expectation is different..some just need the car to move..some expect high level of comfort...some expect totally zero funny noise/sound....depends on you really.
 
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Sammychan

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Which brings to mind what the worker did in my last workshop that caused me to not return ever again.

He topped up tap water in my coolant tank. I don’t mind paying for proper coolant but it was too late... Now I want to flush the system.

And they used 5w-40 when the Manufacturer recommended 30... And they are not cheap...
Actually it depends. In theory any water can be put into coolant if you are not living in winter countries. Coolant has antifreeze properties which prevents it from being frozen. In tropics it doesnt matter. Though if one uses for long term there might be mineral deposits. For worst case scenario orange juice also can pour in. For me..i would say if pour water.. anything less than 50% should be safe.
 
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xiaozhi86

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Actually it depends. In theory any water can be put into coolant if you are not living in winter countries. Coolant has antifreeze properties which prevents it from being frozen. In tropics it doesnt matter. Though if one uses for long term there might be mineral deposits. For worst case scenario orange juice also can pour in. For me..i would say if pour water.. anything less than 50% should be safe.

tap water have minerals that can rust the entire coolant system. use proper coolant premix and top up with distilled water
 

liquidh

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Vacuum leak can be bad. Will cause engine to run rich and clog up the Cat...

Vacuum leak will be very obvious. The car will have erratic idling. There will be a whistle sound from the engine area. It doesnt really affect anything else.
 

liquidh

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I think I’m just more particular. Water is fine but not ideal.

Actually it depends. In theory any water can be put into coolant if you are not living in winter countries. Coolant has antifreeze properties which prevents it from being frozen. In tropics it doesnt matter. Though if one uses for long term there might be mineral deposits. For worst case scenario orange juice also can pour in. For me..i would say if pour water.. anything less than 50% should be safe.
 

liquidh

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That’s why change water pump, timing belt and radiator fan and thermostat at the same time. All in the same area.

Old cars cannot complain alot of noise. It will take up too much time to troubleshoot.

How much is the package?

The upkeep cost can be high for coe cars not because of the parts required to be changed but sometimes the time needed to troublesome the issue. Sometimes an issue is visible because of a combination of multiple issues which takes a longer time to troubleshoot. Downtime can be frequent. We have a package that replace every physical components of the suspension system one shot + all engine seals/oil seal replaced. For comfort it will be same like new car.

Basically everyone's expectation is different..some just need the car to move..some expect high level of comfort...some expect totally zero funny noise/sound....depends on you really.
 

Sammychan

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That’s why change water pump, timing belt and radiator fan and thermostat at the same time. All in the same area.

Old cars cannot complain alot of noise. It will take up too much time to troubleshoot.

How much is the package?
Usually those things spoil then change one. Coz those things do not affect comfort of car...and to be honest we wouldnt want to touch anything if nothing is wrong in the engine bay. The pipes have hardened and can easily break. It can lead to a hose of things needing to change.

At most i would suggest to car owners is change radiator if leaks can be observed ..especially if he goes malaysia often. Leaks can still be used for a long time but most inconvenient is burst in the middle of nowhere or on a weekend.

In the ballpack of $8K including parts for normal sedan like Corolla. All original Toyota parts. 2 things I recommend only use Toyota parts. One is rubber related parts like eg bushes..stoppers..mounts. Two is anything related to brake system. Be it disc or pad etc. Reason being non Toyota parts will have a lot of funny noises due to poor quality.
 
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